A small pirate story
by GeorgeTI
Summary: "Hey guys, I see someone standing on the sea" Little did the Strawhats know that that person would bring a tidal wave of changes at their crew and their adventures... Rated T for now, mostly for safety.
1. A man walking on the sea

So here I am again, to put down on electronic means the ideas that were stuck in my head for quite a while. This is my first crossover fic, and that is quite over my head, as I will be writing something which involves two of the major manga-anime sources, and while I have a little bit of experience with Naruto, I am totally clueless with One Piece. Still, it was way too tempting to pass by such an opportunity. I just hope it will turn out all right. I trust you, my trusty reviewers, to keep me in check.

I don't own Naruto or One Piece. Sheesh, writing this only for Naruto at every chapter of my previous fic was definitely annoying, now it is doubly so...

* * *

><p>"Sanjiiiii, I am hungry..."<p>

Luffy's trademark midday whine was the signal for a barrage of insults and occasional kicks between the ship's cook and the loud trio, consisting of the captain, the doctor and the sniper of the pirate ship Thousand Sunny. "When it is done, jerks!" was the usual final moment, usually emphasized by a strong kick. The ship's female crewmembers, Nami and Robin, were sunbathing on the ship's lawn deck, taking full advantage of the fine weather. The rhythmical clink coming from the ships crow nest made evident that the ships swordsman, and unofficial first mate, was there, working out as usual. The ship's creator and shipwright watched over the whole argument between the cook and the "hungry squad" with mild amusement, while enjoying a bottle of ice-cold cola.

This was proving to be another boring and somewhat calm noon for the Strawhat pirates.

Luffy's energy and hyperactivity returned to him full force once his nose picked up the oh-so-dear smell of grilled meat. "FOOD!" came the battle cry as he barged into the kitchen. "OUT!" came the counter-cry, along with a kick to the face, that shot him out of the kitchen. "Stingy..." he pouted in his trademark childish manner.

"Oi, guys, I see something"

"What is it, Zoro? An island?"

"A... a person. Standing on the water"

A few weeks ago, the crew would make fun of him, but after the encounter with the weird-ass crew of Wapol on their way to Drum island, they knew better. Zoro jumped from the crow's nest to the deck, a sword already drawn, while Usopp grabbed his tools and Nami her Clima Tact. The figure standing on the water came closer and closer, and more details were coming forth. The figure was walking towards them. It was wearing a black shirt and pants, with blue sandals and had bandages around his ankles. The figure seemed to have black hair, which were kept in a ponytail that was swaying with the sea breeze.

Zoro tensed, his battle instincts taking over in his subconscious. Something was off. The man, as he came out to be, walked towards them with calm confidence and calculated moves. He had a blade strapped to his back, but it wasn't a katana, it was too short. It seemed like a ninja-to...

"He is a bounty hunter" the crew turned to face him with mild surprise.

"The Navy sent only one? Isn't he underestimating us?" Sanji said in irritation, while lighting a cigarette.

"I don't think that that is the case. We are quite well-known among the bounty hunters to just try to capture us alone" Nico Robin interrupted. Zoro nodded. "It is best if **we** do not underestimate **him**. Looks can be decieving sometimes. I'll engage him, if it comes to that. If he proves too much..."

"What is it marimo? Scared?"

"In your dreams, Ero-cook."

The figure had come close enough to see his eyes. Luffy jumped to his "special seat" aka the bow's figurehead top, took a deep breath, and shouted. "OOOOIIII! YOUUU! WHAT DO YOU WAAAAANT?" The man vanished from sight, much to everyone's surprise, save Zoro and Luffy. Turning around, they saw the man casually sitting on the protective fence of the fore deck.

"Are you the pirate 'Strawhat' Monkey D. Luffy?"

"Yes. What do you want on my ship?"

"I am here to capture you and your crew and take you to the Navy."

Zoro was on battle mode in a split second, all three swords drawn in an instant. Luffy's expression betrayed slight shock.

"Zoro?"

"This one isn't a pushover!" was the swordsman's simple yet disturbing reply. Sanji tossed his cigarette, a sign that he got serious. Zoro was the first to spring into action, a katana drawing a horizontal arc. The man vanished again. "So I take it that you won't come with me willingly" Luffy's eyes went wide open as he heard the voice behind him. What the hell? "You bet!" he yelled as he spun on the spot and launched a hook, hoping to catch the strange man flat-footed. The man casually jumped and stood on Luffy's shoulder with the grace of a cat. Franky aimed at the strange man with his left arm. "Weapons left!" The man casually swayed just enough to get away just enough from the explosive projectile's trajectory. This was getting annoying, frustrating even, but even more disturbing.

"It seems that jerk is too nimble to take down by one of us. Maybe a combo attack will bring him down" Sanji proposed. The man sighed. "I really didin't want to use this." He closed his eyes, and everyone tensed, expecting a devil fruit ability, but what came upon them was beyond their imagination. The man raised his eyelids. And a pair of the freakiest red eyes they had ever seen glared at them.

"Whaaaaa? W-w-who are you? W-w-what are you?" Usopp asked, his knees trembling visibly and his voice equally shaking.

"My name is Uchiha Itachi"

* * *

><p>The missing-nin calculated the situation with the calmness and insight of an experienced ninja. The information that the Navy had given him had proved accurate so far, especially when it came to their special abilities. He was surprised when he learned about the Devils fruits and the powers they bestowed to the people who ate them, and the price they had to pay for this. He would surely be at a disadvantage without them.<p>

'Seems Ibiki-san was right. Information is worth more than anything sometimes.'

Using his bloodline limit, he easily manoeuvred through the kick-slash combo of the two pirates and with casual grace grabbed the incoming stretching arm and batted it away. The other pirates had spread out through the ship, to avoid getting in the way. It was time to raise the stakes. As the blond pirate delivered a heavy kick, he quickly ducked under the sweeping leg and punched the ankle, diverting the kick's ark toward the sword's, resulting in a clash and leaving the swordsman's side wide open. Using this opportunity, he delivered a heavy kick on his own, sending the green haired man back a few meters.

"Watch it, Ero-cook!"

"Get out of my way, marimo!"

'Not very strong sense of teamwork'

"Gomu gomu no pistol!" Itachi tilted his head slightly and the rubber arm passed harmlessly half a centimetre from his head. 'Now is a good chance' Sanji sent a low kick, that he thought was sure to make the weird man jump and be at his mercy. Zoro cut in the middle, to make that even more effective, for the man would have to leave his current position. None expected the man to grab Luffy's retreating fist and use it to propel himself out of the tight spot, and at the same time gain momentum and deliver an extremely heavy kick to the rubber boy. The sheer force of the blow sent Luffy overboard, but he grabbed to the ship and used the whole incident to gain momentum for another attack.

"Gomu gomu no Rocket!"

Itachi thought quickly. 'I have about 1.5 seconds to bring them into position.' Drawing two kunai, he shot them at the blonde pirate. Predictably enough he deflected the one with a kick and moved to the side to avoid the other. Right into Luffy's course. "SANJIIIIII" the boy tried to warn, but the time was up. The two of them crashed together and resulted in a heap near the end of the ship. 'Two down, six to go' The swordsman seemed a tough nut to crack soon, so he decided to deal with the others first. Gracefully dodging an expert cut, he dashed by the swordsman and to the other members. The little furry fellow swallowed something that seemed like a yellow pill.

"Rumble ball. Jumping point!"

His appearance completely changed in the blink of an eye, and what stood below him was a tall creature with large, muscled legs. 'It is dangerous here'

"Kokutei Roseo!"

"Hissatsu: Kayaku Boshi!"

Acting quickly, he tossed a kunai with ninja wire at the mast and narrowly dodged the double attack from below, by diverting his trajectory just a little. This whole thing had tired him more than he expected. Narrowly dodging attacks made an enemy frustrated to the point where he lost his cool and made mistakes, and also kept attacking the same way believing that it was just luck that he needed, but it had put his body under great strain.

"Chopper, go away! Thunderbolt tempo!"

'An aerial strike with lightning, eh? It seems I'll have to use a technique or two.' With the seemingly superhuman seal forming speed he was famed, he used a minor lightning technique. 'The swordsman will do nicely.' He threw the charged kunai at the swordsman who had followed him, which he, also quite predictably, parried. That was his mistake. The electric charge jumped to his sword, making it an ideal target for Nami's lightning attack. The electricity hit Zoro hard and brought him to his knees, for that side-attack was totally unexpected. The furry creature had changed form again into a large-body humanoid, and rushed to the swordsman's side. Itachi landed right at the top of the protective fence of the aft deck, between the two women.

"You are done for, punk!"

The blue haired human jumped from the orange trees that the pirates kept on their ship, a rare sight for a ship indeed, and brought forth his right hand. "Strong right!" His hand shot forward, as Itachi knew it would.

"You bastard! Leave the ladies alone!" It seemed that the other two had untangled themselves and were onto him. Hitting the cyborg's hand just enough to harm the attacker from behind, he focused on the threat before him. Soon his suspicion proved true. The man drew a deep breath. "Fresh fire!" Passing by the fire, Itachi quickly sidestepped the cyborg and got a view of his back. With a calculated strike, he hit the back of his neck, bringing the fire breathing attack to an abrupt halt and the man to his knees. 'Strange... he should be out cold. I guess being a cyborg he doesn't have some basic human weaknesses' As Franky fell to the lawn deck, Itachi came into full view of the two women. Now it got tricky.

"Seis Fleur"

"Thunder charge swing arm!"

"Ninpou: Raigeki no yoroi!"

* * *

><p>"Eh? The Goro Goro fruit? But we have already fought a guy with this power before!" Nami shouted in disbelief, as her charged weapon bounced harmlessly against the creepy armour that seemed to be made entirely out of electricity.<p>

"This seems that this is not the case" Robin's voice was slightly trembling, as she nursed both her hands which were spasmodic and twitched uncontrollably. Itachi turned to Nami, and the young woman knew she was in danger. "Cool charge!" She brought the tip of her weapon in front of her, as cold air shot from it. Her image became distorted and blurry, before it split into five others.

"Mirage tempo: Fata Morgana"

"No use"

That voice came from behind her, making Nami's eyes open widely and her body tensing for the inevitable blow, which came a split second later. Nami flew across the lower deck and into the arms of Sanji who had jumped to catch her. That seemed to be the last straw for the Strawhat pirates (A/N:pun intended), as everyone realised that they needed to go all out against that man. Luffy was already into Second Gear mode, and Sanji spun on the spot, preparing his Diable Jumble.

* * *

><p>Itachi watched as all the crew prepared to use their most powerful techniques, and sighed.<p>

"I really didn't want to use this... but I will if I have to." he muttered as an apology to them and an excuse to himself. He brought his hands together in the Ram handseal, rather noisily to get their attention to his eyes. Closing them he concentrated, knowing well that the sight of blood running from his eyes as they changed to the infamous Mangekyo Sharingan usually stunned the inexperienced opponents for a while, and indeed he heard short gasps from the people in front of him. Snapping his eyes open, he pushed all his remaining chakra into his final and deadly attack.

"Tsukuyomi"

* * *

><p>AN: Seis Fleur: Six flowers

Kokutei Roseo : Cutting hoof cherry blossom

Hissatsu Kayaku Boshi : Sure-kill gunpowder star

Ninpou: Raigeki no yoroi : Ninja Art: Lightning Armour

Goro goro fruit: shock shock fruit.

Diable Jumble: Devil leg.

I will try to include the original names of the techniques in this one, there is sufficient material, hopefully. Any beta readers who are adept with Japanese are quite welcome too. Read and review!


	2. The exchange

Here I am again, with a new chapter to share, as long as you share your opinions with me (aka read and review)

I don't own Naruto or One Piece. Really.

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><p>Zoro and Luffy were the first to come to their senses after the 72 hour psychological ordeal... or at least that voice told them it was so; the time itself seemed to mock them in that cursed place, with that sadistic creep showing them images of their worst fears and memories. Zoro shook from rage, his self-control long forgotten.<p>

He glanced at his chest, and saw that Mihawk had indeed sliced him, but only once and a long time ago at that. Luffy didn't seem to be faring any better, and his actions were more than a bit sluggish. He looked at his captain's arms.

"Sea stone handcuffs."

"Indeed"

He was on his feet in an instant, only to find himself in a cage similar to the one Crocodile had put them in at his casino, when they barged in like bulls. 'How did he carried that thing with him?'

"So you work for the World Government"

"I work for myself. They have something I need. Mutual benefit."

Zoro clenched his fist around the bars. He had forgotten how most of the bounty hunters were: cold, cruel, calculating pragmatists who were only interested in one thing: money. They didn't care if they had to kill an innocent defenseless person, as long as they got paid. Honor was a luxury that only the most powerful of the bounty hunters could afford, and almost none of them ever bothered with.

"What have you done to me? What have you done to my nakama?" he shouted.

"I am impressed, Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro. You are one of the few to actually come to consciousness after that." the man who identified himself as Uchiha Itachi said. "Don't worry, your friends will come to their senses... eventually."

* * *

><p>Itachi felt exhausted. After he ate a soldier pill and took the weapons from his captives, he put the strange handcuffs on the devil fruit users and unsealed the special cage the Navy provided him with. The whole procedure was quite tiring, but he went through it quickly. There was no telling how much his illusion would last, especially when he used it at such low chakra levels and to people without a developed chakra system too. Those World Government officials were really desperate to get the boy and his gang, to make him walk for miles on water, but that meant that his reward would be equally high.<p>

Closing his eyes, he let himself relax and save his strength, for he would need it, if things went wrong with the exchange. He was no idealist; he knew that in the world of bounty hunting, where he was forced to enter, none was trustworthy, and you had to keep your guard up all the time, if you wanted to survive. Rumors of bounty hunters stabbed in the back from the World government officials were plenty. He just wished he would gather enough funds to get on with his true objective and leave all this thing behind him once and for all. Groans and screams behind him alerted him of his captives' recovery. He shook his head; he was getting careless. One wrong move and it would be over for him.

But he had managed to pull it off. Closing his eyes and positioning himself to a comfortable spot, he felt himself drifting off to a semi-unconscious state. The wind was stable, the sea seemed calm so far, and the Eternal Pose provided to him pointed straight ahead. The world became blurry, as his fatigue overcame him.

The sound of a loud growling brought him back to his senses. It seemed to come from the cage where he had imprisoned the Strawhat pirates. Were they trying to escape?

Looking at the group, he saw that was not the case. The loud noises came from the captain of the crew, who looked totally drained from lack of food and the sea-stone handcuffs. Sighing, he searched the whereabouts of the ship's kitchen. A hearty meal would do him good, and maybe quiet the loud bunch. Working quickly, he prepared a big, by his estimate, meal. The kitchen was very well organized, which proved the information about the cooking skills of the blond pirate, Sanji. Taking the plates, and balancing them only as a trained ninja could, he made his way to the cell on top of the lawn deck. Everyone seemed to have come to their senses, even that cyborg. Itachi was relieved that his technique didn't cause permanent damage as it usually did to most people, but then again, most people he had used it on were ninjas themselves, their developed chakra system amplifying the effect thousand-fold.

"Here"

The crew was naturally suspicious. "Why are you doing this? How can we know that this is not poisoned?" asked Nami, her cautious nature and quick wit springing to action.

"Because if I wanted you dead, you would be" came the frustratingly calm answer. "Also, even if you do manage to kill me, it would turn against you" he said, his back to the crew. Turning around, he shot an icy glare at the cyborg, who had positioned himself and aimed at him. "If I die, you will remain locked here until you starve, or the Navy finds you. Either way-"

"And you expect us to believe that you have any better fate for us?" came the sarcastic comment from the orange-haired woman. "No. But starving doesn't seem to be your best course of action, either."

Franky sighed. "He is right, at least if we eat we can stay in top form and escape from the Navy later" he said in a low voice. The crew nodded and took the plates he offered. "Heck, this isn't even remotely related to good" Sanji criticized bitterly. "Sure it isn't. But I am not a cook either. I just made something edible for you to survive, and I am not obliged to do so too."

Sanji turned to his plate grumbling about rude table manners and how he should have prepared something better for the ladies.

"Man, I am still hungry..." Luffy had gotten some energy back, but obviously he was used to eating a lot more. "This is a ration for a normal person, Monkey-san. Your grandfather told me to get you used to this"

"WHAAT? G-grandpa? What do you have to do with him?" The captain got his energy in an instant, his unspoken fear of his relative making him jump to his feet. Mildly amused, Itachi continued:

"He gave me some information about you and your crew. He was pretty sure that I wouldn't prove much of a fuss to you, obviously."

Silence fell after his words. Itachi sat on Luffy's "special seat", much to the rubber man's anger, and closed his eyes. This would be a long journey...

* * *

><p>"Captain Nezumi, the ship of the Strawhat pirates is in sight!"<p>

"Does it have the red cloth near the flag?"

"Yes! What shall we do, captain?"

"Set the course to intercept them. Also, prepare the dungeon for our guests."

"Yes, captain!"

The mouse-like captain squeaked in delight. His preparations were tiring and long, but that only made his revenge all the sweeter. That creepy man was the only black spot in his perfect plan, as well as he had been his trump card. It was sheer good fortune that he happened to see this man in action, and recruited him to do the dirty job. His price was a high one, but he didn't intend to pay either way; the man was already at the palm of his hand, and that gave him a feeling of supreme power.

-_later_-

"Raise the sails! Throw the hook lines!" The orders were flying around, as well as the expert crew, who wasted no time to secure the ship and tie her beside their own.

"Here are your pirates, Captain-san. May I have the bounty now?"

"Whaah... oh, it is you..." the Navy captain took a few breaths to calm himself. That man was freaking _dangerous._ "Of course, of course, please follow me to the dungeon where we will throw these scum in! The pay is all there!"

Itachi mentally sighed. 'So they never intended to pay, did they? All this trouble for that kind of a childish trap.' "Fine, let us make haste then"

They loaded the whole cage with the Strawhat crew onto their ship with the help of a crane, and down to the lower decks via a large hatch in the main deck. It seemed that they were prepared for them.

Nezumi led his hired bounty hunter to the depths of the ship, grinning along the way. "Here, the money is in that room-"

"HEY! IT IS THAT GUY!"

He winced at the sudden shout. Who was the fool that dared to mess with his schemes? Turning his head, his grin returned full force. "Oh, isn't that you, Strawhat Luffy! How does it feel to be in your rightful place, scumbag? And I see you still have all the rogues you did when you were at Cocoyashi village! Revenge is sweet, isn't it?"

"GET ME OUTTA HERE DAMMIT! I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!"

"Now now, don't go ahead of yourself, pirate. Justice will be delivered to you shortly, along with that group of yours, and I'll be promoted for sure!"

"Captain-san"

"Yes, yes, of course. This way please..."

Opening a door, he pointed at the semi-dark room with no windows, a simple table and a large sack on top of it. Itachi entered and opened the sack.

SLAM! CLANCK! CLANCK!

"Well, I am afraid we will take you too to the Marine prison, bounty hunter. After all, you were associated with these filthy pirates, and I cannot risk my promotion-"

"That was not a wise move"

Nezumi felt his very blood run cold, as cold as the kunai that was pressed against his throat. "My money"

"I-I-I..." he shuttered, unable to come up with a suitable answer.

He felt himself being turned around, and came face to face with the man's glaring red eyes. Then everything went black.

* * *

><p>The crew watched in amazement as the mouse of a captain spoke in an empty voice. "I never intended to pay, I just used you to get these pirates." The man sighed and let go of the marine officer, who fell to the ground unconscious. "So much for an honest job" he muttered, and turned to leave.<p>

"Hey! Captain! Are you all right? Who... You! Arrest him!"

'Damn' It seemed that the double-dealing marine had some men come down shortly after to make sure that everything went smoothly. Fighting his way through wasn't going to be an option; they would raise an alarm for sure, and he would have to face an entire battleship. Thinking quickly, he dashed to the unconscious captain and used him as shield. "Make one move and he dies"

"Bastard! That is cowardly and dirty!" The leader of the small squad shouted. Itachi was already searching in the man's pockets, until he felt the cold metal of a keyring. Pulling out the keys, he tossed the human shield to the waiting marines. "Straw hat! Here!" Tossing the keys to the cage, he moved quickly to the dark corners of the large room, seeking shelter from the chaos that was sure to come.

"YOSH! We are free! Let's get the hell out of here!"

"If they put even a scratch on the Thousand Sunny..."

"We must find out way out quickly, before they raise the alarm"

"Don't worry, Nami-saaaan, Robin-chwaaaan, I'll protect youuuu!"

"S-she is right! L-let's get out of here quick!"

"If the marines capture us again, it will be over."

"Whaaat! Let's run!"

"We can just cut our way through, you know"

Itachi shook his head in disbelief. What a noisy bunch they were.

* * *

><p>The Strawhat pirates' grand exodus was equally loud, paying no heed to the ruckus they caused and the alarm they raised at the very first of the mad dash for the higher decks, but it suited Itachi just fine. None ever took notice of his silent form, sneaking through the swarms of panicked and disorderly marines trying to capture the infamous group, and getting beaten in the process. Maneuvering through the masses, he made it to the outer decks, where the scene of carnage greeted him. Nearly a third of the battleship's total crew lay unconscious, and the noise coming from the side where the pirate ship was secured was unimaginable. Marines charged time and again, but every time they were beaten back by the ship's main fighters, while the rest made hasty preparations to detach their ship and leave post haste. Sneaking through would prove a slight trouble for a ninja of his caliber, hadn't someone spotted him. "There! The traitorous bounty hunter!"<p>

Zoro hit another marine squarely in the chest, the force from his strike sending him tumbling back and right into his charging comrades, effectively halting them. Hearing the commotion, he turned to see the man who had captured them being attacked by the very marines he served, and got betrayed by. His eyes widened in shock, when the man made something that seemed only like hand gestures, and the sea behind him rose and hit the deck of the Navy ship, seemingly with a mind of its own. 'What the hell is that man?'

"Zoro! Watch out!" the sniper's voice alerted him a minute too late for an incoming attack, and only the sniper's quick reflexes and true aim prevented him from gaining another injury. "Thanks" he tossed to the long-nosed boy before focusing on the battle itself, mentally cursing himself for getting that distracted during a fight. Drawing a deep breath, he moved his swords in a horizontal slicing motion.

"Takanami!"

The resulting shockwave sent the charging marines tumbling to their ship in a heap of limbs, guns and swords. Chopper and Franky ran across the deck, cutting the hook lines and beating back to the battleship any marine that tried to sneak behind the defensive line. Robin helped as best she could, supporting the crew in their jobs, while taking cover from the stray bullets that occasionally flew to her direction.

"Luffy! The ship is ready!" Nami cried out.

"Yosh! Let's get the hell out of here! Gomu gomu no gatling!"

With an offensive burst the crew pushed the remaining marines back, as Franky manipulated the strange steering wheel.

"Grab on something tight, guys! Coup de burst!"

The ship flew forward, leaving a giant water crater and a battleship full of astonished marines.

"Well, it seems we lost them." Nami said in relief.

"Yea, finally! And we left that man behind us too. What the hell was he?" Usopp said nervously. Just thinking about the man and his eyes, and the whole ordeal he had to go through sent cold chills running up and down his spine.

"Whatever. That was some weird-ass Devil fruit he used, but it is no matter now." Zoro said as he laid down on the lawn deck, exhausted.

"Yeah! Oh, I almost forgot! SANJI! FOOD!"

"Fine, fine, I'll whip something up."

"I want meat on the bone!"

"You really like meat, don't you?"

"You bet, he can-"

Feeling the hair on the back of his head stand upright, Zoro and Luffy wasted not even a moment as they turned to the strange man, who was leaning casually on the main mast. How he got there without anyone noticing, that was something none but him could answer.

"You! What the hell are you doing here? Looking to recapture us and send us to the Marines? It won't work twice!" Sanji was barely holding himself from charging to that despicable man and rip him to pieces. The man held his empty hands before him, a sigh of peaceful intentions. "I am not here to fight."

"Then, what are you here for?" Nami said, shaking with fury.

"I want to make a proposal."

"No." Nami shook with raw fury, her eyes betraying a lot of pain.

Itachi sighed. 'It seems that I did more damage than I estimated'

He lowered his hands, and looked at the captain. The boy seemed equally resolute in his decision. "You heard her. We decline whatever you offer. You have made us go through something extremely painful. You saved us from that bastard mouse-marine, and for that I will spare your life-"

The man moved with unnatural speed. Luffy could have sword the man teleported next to him. "Isn't it too rash to turn down an offer before even hearing it?"

Zoro moved by instinct alone, as his sword pierced the man's heart, his sword's tip only inches from his captain. Itachi sighed, and dissolved in crows.

"What the-"

"As I was saying" Nami's eyes went wide, as Itachi talked right behind her, "I have a proposal for you. Will you hear me out?"

The group immediately assumed battle stances, preparing for another attack. "Your grandfather was quite accurate on this too... you don't listen."

"Leave"

"I can't walk to the next island, the distance is roughly five hundred miles"

"Four hundred and seventy two" Nami muttered.

"That's your problem. Now beat it before I beat you" Sanji said, in his most threatening tone.

"So here is what I propose. You take me to the next island, I pay you and I never hunt you again."

"And if we refuse?" Robin butted in.

Itachi just activated his bloodline limit in response.

"And how we know you won't turn on us?" Nami said, her fist clutching her Clima Tact so hard, her knuckles tuned white.

"Because, if I wanted to" the crew stiffened, sensing something unnatural in the air, before sensing the cold steel of a kunai pressed against their throats, "you would be dead already" came the voice multiple times, as an identical Itachi stood behind every member of the crew, a knife in hand. The man waved his hand dismissively, and with a loud pop and a small cloud of smoke, the clones dissipated. "Also, opposing the marines would make me a wanted man. In fact, I do have the impression that after this incident, I will be wanted as a member of the Strawhat crew, thus I cannot turn you to the Navy even if I wanted to."

Zoro was the first one to resheath his swords, to everyone's astonishment. "He is right" he said simply, answering the questioning and shocked stares of the rest of the crew. "There isn't a place for him to run to, or at least a legal place. We all have bounties on our heads, it is a matter of time before he gets one too, and judging from his fighting power, it is going to be a large one."

The rest of the crew reluctantly relaxed, eyeing the man suspiciously. Suddenly something struck Nami .

"You said something about paying us?" she grinned her all-too-charming grin, and the crew sweat-dropped, as everyone had the same thought 'Poor man, he is done for'

"One million beli. Cash."

"EH?"

"It is what I have left from my last bounty. I hope it will be adequate"

"Of cour- I mean, it will have to do" Nami swapped the bag from the man's hands, her eyes a glowing beli sigh. Itachi shook his head, turned his face to the sky, and frowned. "You may want to start preparing, Navigator-san, I can sense a storm coming"

* * *

><p>avatoa: Of course I made a somewhat happy ending, sending Itachi to massacre everyone doesn't make such great a story, don't you think?<p>

Next update... I guess when it is ready. Until then...


	3. Rapid changes

Well, here I am again, with a small chapter, but it was the best I could squeeze out of that atrophic brain of mine. Thank you for your reviews by the way :)

avatoa: Yes, Itachi did single-handedly captured the crew, but it was a lucky strike (pun not intended). Besides, he had intel on them, they did not.

God of Stories: No, it didn't seem that off to me, I mean, he used Tsukuyomi on them, they suffered for 72 hours, they should be out for blood. But it is kind of usual for them to accept people, so I hope this is not so OOC

Akuma-beast-16: Definitely not, I am not a fan of the Godlike genre, and as you saw, Itachi used them against each other. The whole battle was about 10 minutes at most. But, as I said, he made a gamble, and if things went south, he would definitely be busted.

Come to think of it, none Sharingan user seemed to have the monstrous stamina that the One Piece (or even some Narutoverse) characters typically have... maybe except Tobi/Mandara, but it still remains to be seen...strange eh?

I know one thing, I own nothing! (That's more catchy and shorter, I think I'll use this from now on, thus this becomes COPYWRITED! Just kiddin')

* * *

><p>The storm came about one and a half hour later, much to everyone's, and especially Nami's, surprise. It looked nothing less than supernatural that Itachi had predicted a storm coming from that afar. If it wasn't the giant waves and gale-force winds that threatened to wash everyone overboard, she would certainly have to talk to him about this.<p>

"Hard to port! Raise the main sail and secure it!" Nami's shouts were almost muffled by the wind what howled and whistled through the ship's ropes and the small tangerine grove. The crew was running frantically around the ship, trying to secure everything and avoiding the incoming waves. Itachi was sitting on the fore deck, and despite the fact that the ship was rocking so wildly and hard, he hadn't moved an inch. 'How can he be so carefree and sit around in a time like this?"

A huge incoming wave forced her out of her thoughts. She couldn't daaydream at a time like this either. "Chopper, hard to starboard! Watch out everyone! Brace yourselves!" 'Damn, that's a big one!'

As she held on the ships railing for dear life, she notices that at the other side of the ship a small whirlpool forming. 'A maelstrom here? It can't be! There shouldn't be reefs here in the open sea!' Nami began panicking. If they hit a reef now, they were done for.

"Suiton Suiryuudan no jutsu!"

The maelstrom exploded upwards, forming a column of water, like a minature version of the Knock-up Stream, but this one bended and twisted, like a snake, or a...

"...dragon..." the whisper left her lips unconsciously. Indeed, the top of the strange water mass was shaped like a dragon. What was that thing? And where the heck did it come from?

It seemed to ignore the ship, however, and slammed itself on the incoming wave instead, breaking it in two smaller which passed harmlessly away from the ship. Turning her gaze across the deck, she saw Itachi, still sitting down, with his hands brought together in a strange hand gesture. "Don't scare me like that!" she yelled.

"COOOOL!"

"SHUT UP LUFFY! Hard to starboard!"

* * *

><p>"Oi, come in for dinner. Everyone is waiting"<p>

"I didn't ask to be fed"

"No, but I am the cook on this ship, and I say so. None is eating unless everyone is at the table. This is a rule, and as much as I dislike you, I won't leave a person unfed, no matter what they are."

"..."

"Oi, are you listening? Get your ass in there"

Itachi turned and gazed at the blond cook who disturbed his rest. His posture and his facial expression seemed quite natural and relaxed, so he shouldn't be lying. He stood up and followed Sanji in the battleground that was the kitchen during dinner time. Luffy was struggling with Usopp and Chopper to get to the food, while the two women chatted merrily and Zoro with Franky watched the fight with mild interest.

All came to an abrupt halt when Itachi entered the room.

Chopper and Usopp immediately hid behind Luffy, Zoro got his left hand on the three katanas that were besides him, Nami and Robin got silent. Feeling their gazes as he made his way to the table's corner chair, he sat with a simple "Pardon my intrusion". The silence was deafening, and only Sanji's preparations broke it.

"Here"

As soon as Sanji placed the plates on the table and the aroma hit Luffy's nostrils, the chain reaction inside his brain completely overrode all his fear, and with uncanny speed he emptied his plate and proceeded to empty the rest of the plates, much to the crew's anger.

"Hey, you took that off my plate!"

Itachi smelled one spoonful of the fragrant rice, and detecting no poisons, he started eating, paying no attention to the raging battle in front of him...

...until an extending hand reached for his own plate, and before he knew it, he had grabbed it and held it tight by the wrist. The crew went to battle stations in a flash, as everyone reached for a weapon or cover.

"Pardon me, captain, this was a reflex. Please do not do this again, or I may end up hurting you." Silence followed Itachi's apology, but a short-lived one.

"COOOOOOL!"

The hungry squad was upon him in an instant, bombarding him with various questions, all of which he ignored, until an infuriated Nami hit them on top of their heads, causing an abrupt end and whines of pain. His attention was diverted only when the furry doctor approached him cautiously, with expectation in his eyes. "Emmm, can I ask you a question?"

"Please, go ahead"

"T-those eyes you showed back then... what were they?"

His question immediately caught everyone's attention, in an obvious, or not so, way. Itachi looked at Chopper's wide eyes, so much like a small kid's. Thinking quickly, he deemed it harmless to reveal some information, just to keep them satisfied, but not enough so that they could counter them.

"These eyes are called Sharingan eyes. It is a special trait that runs only in my lineage. They grand me several useful abilities."

The crew flinched at the memory of the painful ordeal, except Chopper, whose eyes grew even bigger. "Can I see it?"

"Chopper! Leave him alone!" Nami yelled. She _really_ didn't want to see these eyes again.

"But this is phenomenal!" Chopper argued. "There is no such thing in all my medical studies, as these eyes! I **have** to see them!"

"Fine." Itachi activated his eyes, slightly amused at the awestruck look of Chopper, the surprised gasps of the crew and more cheering shouts from the captain. "These Mystery Eyes are so cool!"

"M-may I?" Chopper asked in an uncharacteristically strong burst of bravery that bordered on rudeness. After Itachi's nod, he moved his hand to the strange eyes, and gently pulled the lower eyelid down a little. His expression made a 180 turn, as he got serious, way too serious, and frowned. He moved his hood a few centimetres from his face.

"Can you focus on my hoof, please?"

The crew looked even more curious now, hearing the serious tone from the usually cheery fellow. The furry doctor moved his hand back and forth, left and right, up and down, and at various hand patterns, staring at the ninja's eyes the entire time. "Can you come to my office, please? I need to confirm something."

"Chopper-"

"Not now" Chopper interrupted Sanji, amazing the crew once again. Taking the man by the hand, he led him to the small room that contained his tools.

* * *

><p>After many long minutes, Chopper opened the door of his office, leading Itachi out. All the crew, save for Sanji who stayed to clean the table, and Zoro who was on watch, waited outside.<p>

"As I suspected, he has open-angle glaucoma at both his eyes." he turned to Itachi, who seemed quite calm. "This can lead to blindness if untreated! How could you leave it as it is?"

"Thank you, doctor-san, but I think you have done enough."

"NO! Not until you are properly treated and healed!"

"I do think tha-"

"Give it up." Nami walked by him. "Once he gets like this, none can change his mind."

"YOSH! I have decided!"

Itachi looked at the energetic boy, frowning.

"We will keep the mystery eyes man on our ship until he gets fully healed! Who knows, maybe he will even become our nakama!"

Looking at the crestfallen or extremely happy expressions of the rest of the crew, Itachi shot Nami a questioning look. She sighed. "Well, it is settled, whether you like it or not. Welcome aboard"

"Captain-san, will it really be right for you to keep me on your ship? We only agreed to get me to the next island. I never intended to join your crew, and never agreed to do so. I don't want to be associated with you, for that will hinder my goal-"

"Too late on that" Robin interrupted, as an arm showed him the newly distributed Wanted posters.

"Damn."

Uchiha Itachi, member of the Strawhat Pirates. Reward 115.000.000 beli.

* * *

><p>Robin caught the look of concern in the little doctor's face first, and waited patiently for Itachi to leave, before asking the doctor directly.<p>

"How is his real condition, Doctor-san?"

Chopper sighed. "I am afraid it is much worse that I feared. I haven't told him yet, but this health is failing, and in unnatural manner too. His immune system is way too weakened, and he is suffering from a strange disease. His endurance is way too low too. I don't know where to start."

"Ne, Chopper, you will find a way to cure him, right? I want him to be our nakama!" Luffy said excitedly. "Besides, you are the ship's doctor" Robin added, trying to cheer him up.

Chopper didn't made his happy dance, however. He lowered his gaze, and spoke in a low voice.

"I really don't know, guys. Glaucoma can't be fully treated by even the cutting edge in medical science, and as for the rest of his condition, I have never seen anything like it before. I can't say with certainty if it can be done. I'll try my best nonetheless. I have never lost a patient before." his eyes shone with determination.

Luffy smiled his usual carefree grin, "That's the spirit."

* * *

><p>He stood at the top of the ship's crow nest, pondering on his current situation. 'I am associated with this group of pirates... how ironic, being declared a criminal even here. Well, at least this determines the way I will have to go about if I ever want to finish my mission here.'<p>

A hand tapping his shoulder made him stand and turn on the spot, a kunai drawn and his eyes searching. When he saw the detached arm dissolve into sakura petals, he just frowned and jumped down to the lawn deck. As he suspected, Robin was there.

"The boys have prepared a room for you" she answered his questioning look. "Please follow me"

She led him to a small room, where almost everyone waited outside. "Captain-san, isn't this a bit much? I will be leaving at next port, and I don't think I can pay anything extra for this"

"This is for helping us out earlier" Nami interrupted. She had agreed to lent this room, for Itachi had offered her a small fortune, and a room seemed a small enough loss for her to overlook. "Besides, according to the wanted posters, you are now one of us!"

Itachi politely bowed a little. "I'll gratefully accept it then."

"Get a lot of rest, and come see me tomorrow! Your treatment will start then!" Chopper piped up.

Nodding, he entered the room. A bed, a small drawer and a nightstand. A simple room, but quite a comfort for him, who was used to outdoor camping and sleeping with half an eye open. He fell to bed with his clothes on. He would certainly need the rest...

* * *

><p>Source for the glaucoma thing: Wikipedia<p>

Suiton Suiryuudan no jutsu: Water element, water dragon missile

A small chapter, just to keep myself going. Some more adventures coming up. Also. The pairings are still undecided. Please share your opinions on this (aka R&R). Until the next burst of inspiration...


	4. Unexpected Battle

I am late. I know. Work is a real soul sucker, and time is a rare luxury. Inspiration is even more so. Anyway, I managed to squeeze enough to fill three pages on my laptop, I just hope there are any faithful readers remaining to actually read this. Also, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! Now on with the story...

I know one thing; I own nothing!

* * *

><p>Clink. Clink. Clink.<p>

Zoro kept lifting the ridiculously enormous dumbbell mechanically. His count was way beyond his usual, but he didn't even bother to notice, as his mind was swamped, all of his thoughts rotating around the passenger they now had. It puzzled him to no end the fact that this man not only subdued the whole crew alone, but also he did so without a scratch, not from them anyway. These useful abilities he spoke of, what were they? How could he walk on water? What was this nightmare he made them go through time and again, for what it seemed an eternity on this hellish plane of blood sky and black clouds? His first assumption that this was a Devil fruit ability didn't seem to add up; no devil fruit user could walk on water, even that Navy admiral had to freeze it before walking on it, and that practice was risky as hell. Just who was that man?

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the trapdoor. Luffy never bothered to knock, Sanji just shouted insults from the deck, the others didn't bother coming up...'Speaking of the devil...'

"May I come in?"

"Yea"

"I am sorry to interrupt, but I needed a quiet place for a while"

"...I can understand that"

Itachi entered the room and sat at a dark spot, carrying a small bag, which Zoro immediately recognized as Chopper's. Sure enough, he took several pills out of it, as well as a small jar of white ointment and a long white bandage. After gulping down the pills, he smeared some of the white material on his eyelids and covered the bandage with some more, before blindfolding himself with it.

Zoro smiled as he thought of the small doctor. It never ceased to amaze him, and every other in the ship for that matter, how serious he could become when it came to his own field of expertise. Earlier this morning he had literally dragged his new patient all the way to his office, where he subjected him to even more examinations and took blood samples for his experiments. After some time, he gave him a series of freshly made pills and some other medical supplies, along with lengthy instructions and warnings. Itachi had gone through the whole procedure stoically, never complaining or resisting, as most of the crewmembers would.

Zoro was interrupted from his thoughts when he saw Itachi rise from his seat, and his breath stayed in his lungs when he walked up the wall and sat on the ceiling of the crow's nest.

"What the... how do you do that?"

"We all have secrets, Roronoa-san. This is one of mine."

"...fine"

* * *

><p>"Oi, shitty marimo! Get Itachi and your sorry ass to the kitchen, lunch is ready!"<p>

Sanji's voice was irritating as ever, but this time Zoro was actually relieved to hear it. He turned to Itachi to ask him if he needed help, but the hanging-upside-down ninja answered before he even opened his mouth, jumping with catlike grace to the trapdoor and disappearing. Shaking his head, Zoro made his way to the kitchen.

The ship's kitchen at serving time was usually loud and lively, but today heavy silence hanged above them like a storm cloud, darkening the whole mood. Even the loud trio ate in silence, which was one of the most extraordinary things, given their cheerful personalities. The reason for this unusual behavior was Nami's announcement that the next island would be in visual range the next day.

This kind of announcement usually made Luffy jump and run around like a kid in a candy store, wondering aloud what kind of amazing adventures awaited them, but today that was a grim announcement, because it meant that their passenger – and as Luffy hoped, their new nakama – would leave them for good. The silence broke when Luffy, after playing for what seemed the hundredth time with his plate's leftover food (another amazing fact, given his habit of just gulping everything down, even the very plate sometimes) couldn't take it any more and spoke.

"Ne, Itachi, will you leave us tomorrow?"

"I am afraid I have to, Luffy-san." Exactly four seconds later, the whine broke out at full force.

"Come on, man! Don't you have fun here? Why must you leave?"

"Yea! Besides, the World government still thinks you are one of us! Wouldn't it be better to stick together?"

"Besides, I haven't finished treating you yet! If you go out, you'll get sick again!"

Itachi raised his hand to calm them down before speaking. "Captain, as I have told you, I have a mission to accomplish, and I cannot do this if I accompany you. You do understand this, don't you? You have a mission of sorts, that dream of yours to-"

"-to become the Pirate King!" Luffy piped up.

"As you can see, while not as grand, I do have my own goals. I am afraid that the next port is where we say goodbye."

Luffy's expression went from crestfallen to solemn. To his crew's surprise, he said "I see." and stood up. His trademark grin flashed on his face. "Well then, I say we throw a grand party! Sanji! Prepare a grand feast for tonight!"

"We are already low on supplies-"

"We will get more on the next island! Come on, don't be stingy! It's the farewell party for Itachi!" Luffy seemed to get more exited by the second.

Sanji just sighed and smiled. 'So it has come to that, eh?' "Fine, captain. Just remember, it will be you the one who carries the supplies to the ship."

"YAHOO! PARTY!" The crew was in party mode in an instant, causing Sanji to start screaming and kicking to keep the order in his sacred kitchen. Itachi just shook his head and left for his room for a well-deserved rest. This was one of the very rare occasions when he could rest without having to keep one eye open for his life.

-_later_-

Zoro approached the lone figure sitting on the ships figurehead. Being the first to join Luffy's crew, he understood him better than most. The whole party thing was just his declaration of submission, and something to cheer up his crew, rather than a desperate attempt to win Itachi over with his notably great charisma. "He was not going to stay anyway, no matter what"

"I know... but I had to give it a try. He is a nice person."

"He reminds you of your brother, doesn't he?"

"...it's not only that"

"What do you mean?"

"His eyes. They are not the eyes of a free man, but those of someone who carries a great burden."

Zoro was taken aback from the surprisingly perceptive answer. Taking a moment to consider his captain's words, he realized that he was right. That very look clouded Kuina's face when she told him about her self-loathing for being a girl. Shaking his head, he decided that this was not the same thing. Kuina's eyes shone with her burning passion and her goal, while this man's eyes were... he could only think of the fresh soldiers that returned from an especially bloody battle: eyes of an old man, someone who had seen too much already, and was forced to mature way beyond his age. Empty ones.

"So?"

"If he wishes to leave, I won't stop him. I really wished he could stay though..."

* * *

><p>The sight of an island usually triggered a barrage of cheers from the crew and was a welcome sight for the wary pirates, but this time the enthusiasm was almost gone. Everyone kept to their usual routine, like it was just another day at sea. The ship made good time, however, and soon the splash of the anchor being lowered signaled the departure time of the enemy-turned-friend.<p>

"Be sure to follow the treatment and take your medicine!" Chopper was barely holding his tears. After a final thorough examination earlier this day, he announced that the treatment was effective and the symptoms were less severe and his patients condition was steadily improving. After that he proceeded to give him an abnormally large bag full of medicine – he was surely working hard, Itachi would give him that much – which Itachi sealed inside a scroll when the crew left the room, for he still didn't want to answer the good-intended but nevertheless nosy questions of the crew.

"May we see each other again! I'll be the Pirate King by then!" Itachi nodded and jumped from the ship to the sandy beach of the island – a summer island by the looks of it. Turning to the ship to wave them goodbye, he felt a small tingle of sadness. This was his small haven in a life of death and deceit.

"So we meet again, Itachi"

Itachi's hand shot forth almost on its own, deftly catching the incoming kunai.

"So it would seem, Hikaku-san."

The Strawhats turned their gazes to the newcomer, who seemed to know Itachi, but not in a friendly way, and gasped as they recognized that he had the very same eyes as Itachi's. His shoulder-long brown hair were neatly bound in a ponytail, and he wore a blue shirt with black pants. What caught Itachi's attention however was the discarded white coat with the kanji for 'Justice' on its back.

"I see you made some new friends, traitor"

"So do you"

The tension seemed to almost solidify, as the two men went to a staring contest, eyes never leaving the opposing man. The battle began in a split second's notice, both disappearing from the crew's eyes in a swirl of sand.

* * *

><p>"Zoro, do you recognize this man?"<p>

"No, I don't. He seems to be a marine captain though."

"Marine? I will kick his ass!"

"Hold it Luffy" Zoro calmly said as his hand grabbed his captain's cheek, allowing him to shoot forth a meter before his stretched out cheek yanked him back. "This is Itachi's battle, and we should not intervene, we will just get in his way. Besides, you remember what happened when we fought someone with those eyes"

Luffy's energy was sapped from Zoro's calm analysis and estimation of the whole situation faster than a dowsing of sea water. He clung to the ship's rim, watching helplessly the raging battle, much like the first encounter of Zoro with the man he chased all around East Blue. A knot tightened in his chest; would the finale be the same?

* * *

><p>The two ninjas struck furiously at each other, their kunai coming together in deafening clashes of steel against steel and small sparks that gave out after a few moments. The stalemate in the hand-to-hand combat broke when Hikaku dashed backwards, his hands forming seals.<p>

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu"

"Suiton: Mizurappa" Itachi spat out a jet of water, putting out the incoming ball of fire, creating a small cloud from the steam that the clash of the two elements produced. The cloud settled down to fog, that hid the two ninjas from their sight. The sound of ringing steel indicated that the battle was far from over, as the man that Itachi identified as Hikaku attacked viciously, leaving to room for a single breath.

"Kaze no Yaiba"

A sudden and very strong gust of wind shifted the fog a little, to show a roch split clearly in two ('Way too clearly' was Zoro's disturbing thought) and Itachi rushing forward to strike. Then came the strangest of things: Itachi cut through the air in front of the other man, missing him completely. It seemed at least weird that such a man would make such a mistake.

"So much for the famed prodigy, falling for a simple illusion..." the other man said in a disappointed tone, as he struck Itachi with a clear hit at his heart. Zoro brought his hand to his swords, preparing himself for a desperate battle, but his katana remained halfway drawn, for the figure they saw as Itachi disappeared with a loud pop and a small amount of smoke.

"A shadow clone, eh? Not bad, really" the man smiled wickedly.

"Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu" Itachi's voice came from everywhere. The man tried to jump, but Itachi's hand shot from the sand below him and grabbed his foot, before shoving him right into the ground and jumping himself out of it. His eyes immediately narrowed, and he jumped away from the man, who kept smiling, before turning into a log halfway buried into the sand, with something that seemed (to the crew, at least) like ordinary painted pieces of paper attached on it. The trap went off, rising an enormous amount of dust, forcing the crew to cover their eyes and hiding the battlefield.

The sound of a blade coming out of its scabbard made Zoro get goosebumps, and his hand came to his swords out of instinct, before he could calm himself enough to stop.

"Mikazuki no Mai"

Zoro's eyes opened wide when he saw that technique in all its glory, as Itachi created three copies of himself and attacked from all four sides simultaneously and without hesitation. 'If he makes it alive out of this, he has some explaining to do...'

Hikaku got all four slashes before turning to a log and falling harmlessly to the ground. The slight whistling of a kunai turned the attention of Itachi and his clones to the nearby rocks. Two of the four rushed there only to be destroyed by another explosive tag. The other two went on the defensive, their backs turned to each other. After a few moments of silence, one of them threw a kunai on the ground, where a hand burst out of it and deftly caught it before it impaled the area where his opponents head was. Hikaku burst from the ground and started dashing towards the back-to-back Itachi and clone, when one of them (the Strawhats couldn't even begin to distinguish them) dashed towards him as well.

When they were withing close combat range, they both formed a handseal and shouted in unison:

"Bunshin Daibakuha"

Both the clones exploded causing a powerful shockwave that made the pirates cling to whatever they could so that they could stay on board. The dust covered the battlefield once again. This time no clash of steel sounded, and an eerie silence settled, along with the sand, on the battleground. The two men stood a few meters apart, engaging in a staring contest, waiting for the other to make a mistake. Both showed that they had taken some damage from the unexpectedly large explosion that their two exploding clones created; Itachi's arm was bruised and Hikaku's hand pressed lightly on his left side. Finally, Hikaku tensed slightly, causing Itachi to instictively tense himself, yet nothing prepared him for the tears of blood that run from his opponent's eyes, or the dreaded Mangekyo Sharingan glaring at him. Shock was rapidly replaced by another emotion though. With a barely heard whisper, he just uttered one word.

"Hikaku..?"

"You are not the only one who got stronger, traitor"

The very air around Itachi seemed to freeze, as that new emotion started to radiate from him at a sickening rate; ice-cold fury and bloodlust filled the area, so much that even Usopp, Chopper and Nami fell to their knees. His eyes changed to match Hikaku's in an instant.

"Let's finish this"

"..."

Both opponents closed their eyes, brought their hands to form the ram handseal, and snapped them open.

A/N: Another chapter to an end... this is getting more and more difficult every time... Anyway, R&R!

Techniques:

Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu : Fire Element: Great Fireball Technique

Suiton: Mizurappa : Water Element: Water Trumpet

Kaze no Yaiba : Blade of Wind

Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu : Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique

Mikazuki no Mai : Dance of the Three Days' Moon

Bunshin Daibakuha : Clone Great Explosion


	5. Welcome aboard

I know I am late, horribly late. It's a shame that I have so little time and inspiration for this, but your reviews are the only thing that can keep me going, and fr that I thank you.

ade: Kawarimi (according to Narutopedia at least) can be used by anyone, and the exploding-tags-attached thing is a nice surprise after all. Besides the objective wasn't to fool Itachi, but to stall for time.

uchiha-luver: Why thank you, I am glad we share the same ideals on a crossover! I did this on purpose however, as it is my first crossover fic and I am not so confident to try and add more characters from Naruto, and besides that collides with my own style. I tend to use the same storyline as the manga (or anime sometimes) and then just let the story unfold as it should. Adding more that two or three characters really complicates the procedure. As for the updates, I am sorry but I'll disappoint you there, because it becomes increasingly difficult for me to write. The only thing that can somewhat help in this matter is nothing else but reviews! :)

I know one thing, I own nothing!

* * *

><p>"Captain! There you are!"<p>

"These are the Strawhats! Just as Captain Hikaku said! Get them!"

Zoro sighed. "It's about time they showed up, and just at the worst moment too."

"I won't let them interfere with the weird-eyes' fight!" Luffy proclaimed, his determination radiating off him like a halo.

"I do think their fight is already over" Sanji said with a serious face. The crew watched as Itachi fell to his knees, then to the sand, unconscious. "Itachi... lost?" Usopp began panicking.

"I don't think that's the case." Zoro said as he drew out his katanas. The rest of the crew looked at the Navy captain.

Black flames engulfed the lower half of his torso, and were moving quickly upwards. Hikaku's face was panicked and pale, and his hands were trembling as he tried to form some handseals, but the flames were quick and true to their aim, as soon his lungs and heart betrayed him and he fell to the ground, while the black flames continued their work, spreading the sickening smell of burnt flesh around. A rifle shot passing mere inches from Sanji's face brought them back to reality.

"Zoro! Sanji! With me! Chopper, get Itachi! The rest of you defend the ship and make preparations to leave." Luffy ordered before jumping down on the sandy beach and engaging the marines.

The crew jumped into action in an instant, showing amazing teamwork and zeal. Hands blossomed on the mast and the rails, as Robin prepared the sails by herself. Franky vanished at the lower decks to prepare the ship's engines, and Usopp released a storm of pachinko balls on the firing marines, sending them running for cover from the sniper's accurate shots. Chopper rushed by Itachi's side, quickly checking his vitals, and carried him to the infirmary.

The real battle though was waged a few meters from the ship, where Luffy, Zoro and Sanji had engaged the marines to close combat. It seemed that the marines had learned their lesson; those attacking were all battle-adept, with various scars to prove it. It seemed that they were all at least Lieutenants or higher in rank and fighting power.

"Gomu gomu no gatling!"

"Party Table Kick Course!"

"Takanami!"

The fighting trio's attacks kept stalling for time, as the rest of the crew finished the hasty preparations for a quick Coup de Burst, pushing the marines back and disorienting them for as much as possible.

"We are ready!" Franky shouted as he emerged from below deck. With an offensive burst, they pushed the marines one last time, before running back to their ship.

"Hold on, people!" Franky warned. "Chicken Voyage!"

The lion figurehead started spinning, making the ship go backwards, much to the gathering marines' shock and disbelief. "Coup de Burst!"

The ship shot forward, leaving a massive wave that knocked down the marines, but didn't put out the black flames that burned on their captain's ashes, even though there was nothing to burn.

* * *

><p>"So you have come to finish it, Itachi..."<p>

"Captain Inabi! I am sorry! They got away! We couldn't stop them, and Captain Hikaku is dead-"

"Prepare the ship for departure. We will head for Sabaody Archipelago, and will wait them there. Also, get me the Den-Den Mushi. I have some calls to make."

"Yes, sir! But what about Captain Hikaku?"

Focusing on the flames, the Uchiha activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and put them out.

"Collect them and make preparations for a funeral. Captain Hikaku was killed in action, and must be honored as much."

"Yes, sir!"

Uchiha Inabi turned and made his way to his ship, his face grim. He had sensed the high spikes of chakra, both Itachi's and Hikaku's. He had warned the fool not to engage Itachi on his own, but apparently the hot-headed Captain thought he knew better. At least he hoped that Hikaku did some damage before he went down, judging from the final large spike of his chakra. Grinding his teeth, he picked up his pace. The rest wouldn't be happy to hear the news.

* * *

><p>"I think they lost us" Usopp reported, after scanning the horizon with his goggles.<p>

"Chopper, how is he?"

"I- I think he will be fine. He has suffered a good score of hits, but that's something that can heal in a few weeks' time." Chopper said tiredly. The small doctor had nursed Itachi for a good ten hours straight, while allowing only Nami inside to assist him once in a while. "What troubles me is that he seems to be hit mentally as well. I mean, if the other guy hit him with the same thing he hit us... he could be out cold for hours, or even a couple of days. His eyes worsened again, though not as much as the first time I saw him. He will need rest"

"And we didn't get to collect any supplies..." Sanji groaned. This was going to be a long journey.

"We did get the Log Pose to set though... and I think that the next island will be close."

"I hope so. The remaining supplies will last for two weeks at most... and that means that Luffy won't try to sneak into the kitchen to stuff his face again!" Sanji glared at the boy, who just smiled sheepishly.

"Speaking of weird powers, what the hell was that black flame?" Zoro asked, even though he knew it would be pointless.

"It seems that Itachi-san has more aces up his sleeve than we think he has" Robin also seemed thoughtful on the matter.

"Anyway, he will be with us again, and as I understand" Zoro nodded at Chopper "he will be for some time. I think it is about time we ask for answers. And I mean clear answers. We saved his life, he owes us as much"

"That is something to decide and do after he has awoken, at least" Nami butted in, sparing Chopper the protest. "Also, we must prepare, as the marines would likely hunt us down, so we must save our strength."

* * *

><p>"So it is as we suspected..."<p>

"Yes. Hikaku has fallen. Itachi has joined forces with the Strawhats. As we speak, they are headed to Sabaody Archipelago. Should we let the Admirals handle this?"

"No, he might spill the beans. Even though none will believe him, we must not leave any loose ends. Go and find him there. If he is injured, you will be able to finish him quickly. I will get you a few Pacifistas to aid you; these things don't actually think."

"Shouldn't there be at least two of us?"

"We won't make it in time, and this is a rare chance. Besides, it is unlikely for you to get gold feet."

"I know of his skill, that's all. Fine, I'll do it."

"Keep me informed, I will pass the information to the others."

Inabi put the microphone on the communication device.

* * *

><p>"He is awake!" Chopper said excitedly at the breakfastbattlefield table. Luffy immediately gulped down his food and dashed to the infirmary, with the others following in a more tidy manner. The sight of Itachi however took the edge off Luffy's enthusiasm; his pale face watching him with his usual calm expression had something so authoritative, that even Luffy was taken aback.

"Welcome back, Itachi-san" Robin tried to defuse the heavy atmosphere.

"What happened?"

"Quite a lot... we will discuss over lunch though, you could use some rest" Zoro intervened before Luffy could start his chatter. The rest of the crew got the message (well, except Luffy, but Nami dragged him out anyway) and left.

-_later_-

"So, here is a special meal – NO LUFFY YOU WON'T GET ANY – for Itachi and the ladies – GET YOUR FILTHY PAWS OFF THEM – to help with his recuperation." Sanji said in a combination of yelling and talking normally. Itachi ate in silence as usual, deflecting the offending stretching hands without even batting an eyelid (oh, the power of habit) and ignoring the trademark rucus of the Strawhat's meal time. When the meal ended though, and Sanji served the tea, came the moment of truth that he knew that would come, should he stick with them. His mind worked overtime since the morning visit; how much could he afford to say? How much could he keep a secret? The conflicting duties and his ideals made him ponder deeply.

"So, Itachi" Zoro started "that man-"

"Roronoa-san." Itachi cut him off. "Please don't try to play with words. It is not like you."

Silence fell to the room. Itachi took a deep breath and continued.

"That man is one of those that I must kill without fail. Please don't ask me why. As you can see, they are among the World Government high-ranking officers, and that's why I didn't want to associate anyone with me. Also, they want to kill me too. It is a mission that I have to complete, and in doing so, I will be a wanted man. Sure you know-"

"Tell us something new, idiot" Sanji said as he lit a cigar.

"You happen to talk to pirates, for once, and pirates who have shot the World Goverment's flag in particular" Nami said. "Don't you know about-"

"These men have the same eyes as I have" Itachi interrupted her. "You don't know what these eyes can do, you don't know what these men can do, you don't have the slightest clue on how to defend yourselves!" Sensing his emotional disturbance, he forced himself to calm down, giving Zoro the opportunity to ask about another thing.

"Like that black flame?"

Itachi sighed. These people were definitely weird. Either they didn't know what they had gotten themselves dragged into, or they were insane. Shaking his head, he decided to show a few of his cards. Making other people suffer for him wasn't what he would allow as long as he could, and this time information was the key.

"The Sharingan eyes grand me some powers. One of these powers is this."

"Come to think of it" Usopp said thoughtfully "You said that the Sharingan runs only on your lineage. That means that this guy was your relative?"

Itachi froze. It was a matter of time before they figured it out, but it seemed that the crew were not as thick as he initially assumed. "A fellow clan member who had gone rogue" he said. What better way to hide the truth by revealing a small part of it? He just hoped that he could leave those people without causing them any more harm, willingly or unwillingly.

Luffy sighed. "Itachi"

The room fell silent again. Then Luffy began to speak, and Itachi understood why this man was considered such a threat to the World Government: he had an air of authority and confidence that he had never before shown to him, and judging from the crew's serious faces, he assumed that this was a rare occasion too. "I know that you don't trust us, and you want to bear all the burden just by yourself. I will just ask you to believe in us, just as we believe in you"

A bitter smile made his way to Itachi's lips. 'So much like a true Hidden Leaf ninja, even if he doesn't know'

"Also, I'd like to ask you again to join us. We will be targeted anyway, and if these people you hunt are as fearsome, you can protect us from them. As for them, they will come after us seeking you eventually, and we can help you finish your mission."

"You are truly quick to trust an enemy"

"You have no idea" Zoro laughed.

"...fine."

"Eh?"

Itachi stood up and knelt before his new captain. "My name is Uchiha Itachi of the Hidden Village of the Leaf. I hereby my services and life to Captain "Strawhat" Monkey D. Luffy, until the completion of my mission."

"What was all that about?" Sanji asked in annoyance.

"Proper introductions-"

"Proper introductions my ass! Welcome aboard! Everyone..." Luffy held up is mug excitedly.

"KAMPAI!"

* * *

><p>AN: I know the battles of the Strawhats are none too great, but I think it is a waste to try and glorify them beating to a pulp some no-name marines anyway. Don't worry though, something more exciting coming up! Also, regarding Hikaku's Tsukuyomi, yea, he isn't that skilled with it, but even slightly skilled can do such things (by my estimate) I mean, Kakashi was out cold for a month by a skilled attack, and no, Sasuke wasn't skilled at it at all when he fought Danzo, in fact it may well have been his first time, as far as I know.

Until next time, Read and Review, Reviews is the lifeblood of every author at FF

George T. I.


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